Douglas Lrs Euro Nymph Rods

The Douglas LRS fly rod series brings high-end performance with a price-point every angler can enjoy, redefining the value expected from a fly rod without the premium price tag. Each model has been finely tuned to find the perfect action that meets the needs of veteran anglers and beginners alike.

A nicely presented rod ideally suited to euro-nymphing, but also casts a 4-weight line very well with good accuracy and loops tight enough to handle a strong breeze. Enough stiffness to mend the line on the water and bring trout to the net, yet soft enough in the tip to play fish on light tippets.

Overall, a very good value rod that takes a lot to beat.

The build quality is excellent, with a shiny blue resin finish. The single stripping guide and snake guides are all appropriately sized and well placed. The ferrules are neat fitting and appear sturdy. The rod is presented in a cloth covered rod tube with individual slots sewn in for each rod section (rather than a separate bag.)

I tried the rod out on the Wainuiomata River. The river was full but clear after recent rain and the sky was still cloudy. A gusty breeze was blowing, making accurate casts tricky when the gusts came through. The Wainuiomata River only holds brown trout and mostly requires careful stalking of cruising fish, or fish feeding in the riffles at the tops of pools. The conditions meant I had a mix of fishing blind into likely lies, as well as the occasional chance of spotting cruising and feeding fish.

Starting with euro-nymphing I was able to cast a fly weighted with 3mm tungsten bead together with an unweighted fly on the dropper. Accurate casting was easy with the lightweight rod. I noticed a total lack of rod wrap around the tip ring, something that tends to happen if the tip of the rod is too soft or not damped enough in its rebound. I landed a couple of brown trout, one of 3lb and good condition, the other of similar length but poor condition. My conclusion was that this is a rod that I could comfortably use on the Tongariro River, although my 5-weight rod might be at an advantage for the bigger fresh-run fish. Rod control was precise and handling heavier 4mm tungsten beaded flies is not a problem. I would perhaps want to use a lighter, more sensitive rod if I was targeting small fish in a competition.

The next pool was a wide expanse of flat water where fish often cruise slowly around the weed edges. Very difficult to spot, and super spooky. At this point I switched to a 4-weight floating line and nymph with indicator. I saw one fish, but only briefly as the clouds and wind conspired to make spotting near impossible.

I continued nymphing up the next long run and found the rod excellent for casting into the breeze with tight loops. The 10’ length is a definite advantage for mending over stray currents to get a good drift of the nymphs, and the rod is stiff enough to be able to flick a significant length of the fly line of the water when mending. Picking the line up off the water with a roll cast was efficient and easy.

I found the well-placed snake guides meant I could quickly cast the leader out through the tip of the rod without developing a loop of line between the last guide and tip ring – something that can be very frustrating when stalking fish.

I landed a 1lb trout fishing blind halfway up the run, and near the top of the pool a 2lb fish that I spotted deep in the eye of the pool.  

Negatives

In bright conditions there is a risk that the very shiny finish on the rod might spook a trout if you intend stalking fish. It would be a shame to apply cutting compound or fine steel wool to such a nice rod, but that should solve the problem.

The only other issue I have is the downward securing reel seat.  I didn’t really notice the difference on the water, but having the reel closer to the rod hand makes using wrist action easier when euro-nymphing and easier to leverage the rod against the body when playing larger fish with strong tippets.